This invention relates generally to printing information on a mailing medium. More particularly, this invention relates to control circuitry for a printing mechanism used in a value dispensing device, such as a postage meter, which accurately controls the printing mechanism so that postal indicia and other information are printed on a print medium suitable for mailing, such as an envelope, a label or a tape.
Mailing machines for printing postage indicia on envelopes and other forms of mail pieces have enjoyed commercial success, both in the U.S. Postal Service and in industry mail rooms and private office environments. Generally speaking, there are many different types of mailing machines, ranging from relatively small units, which handle only one mail piece at a time to large, multi-functional units, which can separate, feed, weigh, print postage indicia on and stack hundreds of mail pieces per hour in a continuous stream operation. Thus, the modern mailing machine plays an important role in facilitating the rapid and efficient movement and other handling of mail.
Mailing machines have traditionally been capable of printing postage indicia either directly on mail pieces, or on pieces of tape, which are then attached to mail pieces. Typically, the mailing machine is set to print the postage indicia on envelopes as they are fed seriatim along a feed deck by a suitable feeding mechanism, the printing operation being carried out by a printing device that is part of a postage meter component of the mailing machine. The postage meter component has various control devices by which it can be set to print a predetermined amount of postage, together with other settable information, such as a date, within a pre-set design, the selectable information and the pre-set design all constituting the aforementioned postage indicia.
Regardless of which type of printing device is utilized in the postage meter, it is often necessary to print the postage indicia on a strip of tape, either gummed or adhesive backed, because it is not possible to feed the mail piece on which it is desired to apply a postage indicia through the mailing machine. In many situations, for example, the mail piece may be too thick to be fed through the normal feeding path of the mailing machine, or it may be too large in area, or it may contain delicate material that could be damaged by the pressure exerted by the printing device of the postage meter. For whatever, reason, there are numerous occasions in the normal operating situations of a mailing machine, where the postage indicia simply cannot be applied directly to the mail piece and must be applied to a strip of tape which is then suitably adhered to the mail piece.
Digital printing technology includes thermal ink jet (bubble jet), piezoelectric ink jet, thermal printing techniques, and LED and laser xerographic printing that all operate to produce images by dot-matrix printing. In dot-matrix ink jet printing individual print elements in the printhead (such as resistors or piezo electric elements) are either electronically stimulated or not stimulated to expel or not expel respectively, drops of ink from a reservoir onto a substrate. Thus, by controlling the timing of the energizing of each of the individual print elements in conjunction with the relative movement between the printhead and the mailpiece, a dot-matrix pattern is produced in the visual form of the desired indicia.
Conventional printheads that are used to print information on a medium suitable for mailing, such as an envelope or adhesive tape, which is affixed to an envelope, print postal indicia as the medium passes through an apparatus. One drawback to this is that the printhead is not able to print additional data on the medium as the medium is passed through the printhead.
One technique for controlling energizing of ink jet printheads is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,172, issued Sep. 28, 1998 to Moh, entitled, xe2x80x9cMethod And Structure for Controlling the Energizing of an Ink Jet Printhead in a Value Dispensing Device such as a Postage Meterxe2x80x9d. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. While the technique described in that patent is useful to generate encoder pulses to a motor to activate the motor and to move the printhead at a desired speed over a medium, it does not attempt to enable the printhead to print on a plurality of areas of an envelope or tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,900, issued Feb. 9, 1993 to Eisner et al., entitled, xe2x80x9cEnvelope Addressing System Adapted to Simultaneously Print Addressees and Bar Codesxe2x80x9d. This patent relates to using one printhead for each address line, i.e., four lines would require four printheads. The printheads are mounted so at least two of the printheads overlap each other, which means that the printheads are positioned so that they are not in sequence with the numbers of the lines being printed. Transport rolls are mounted at either end of the printhead with no other transport rollers or transporting structures between the printheads. An electronic controller varies the time each of the printheads starts to print to correspond to the spacing of that printhead so that all of the lines may be printed with an aligned margin. This system does not enable a printhead to print various information on a plurality of areas of a medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,441, issued Aug. 1, 1995, to Tuhro et al., entitled, xe2x80x9cMail Preparation Copier With Mailing Address Identificationsxe2x80x9d relates to a digital copier with mail preparation functions. These functions include a document input scanner that derives an electronic representation of an original document and a document editor that is responsive to operator commands input from a user interface. A source of sheets and envelopes are fed to the printer. The printer is controlled to create an image on the selected sheet or envelope according to the created envelope image. Postage amount is generated in response to received information about the weight of a document. A document creator combines the image from an identified area with a pre-stored envelope image. This system, however, does not control a printhead to enable either a tape or an envelope to be printed, which includes postage indicia and additional information.
What is needed is an improved method and apparatus that permits a print module to print postal indicia and other information by moving the position of the print module and thereby achieve improved usage of the medium.
The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for printing information, such as postal indicia and other information, on a medium.
Accordingly, one embodiment is directed to a method of printing on a medium. This method includes detecting a type of medium and entering a printing mode as a function of the type of medium detected in the detecting step. The printing mode is either an envelope printing mode or a tape/label printing mode. When in the envelope printing mode, a print module is positioned at a first position, and prints postal indicia data on a first area of the envelope. The print module is then positioned at a second position. Additional data is obtained and the additional data is printed on a second area of the envelope. This additional data, which could be virtually any information that would fit on the medium, typically includes slogan information, change of address information, delivery instructions and the like. The print module is then positioned at a third position and recipient address data is obtained and printed on a third area of the envelope.
Next, the print module is positioned at a fourth position, and sender address information is obtained and printed on a fourth area of the envelope.
It is another embodiment of the present invention that when in the tape printing mode, the print module is positioned at a fifth position, and indicia is printed on a first portion of the tape. The multiple printing positions on the tape are only constrained by the dimensions of the tape itself.
It is yet another embodiment of the present invention that the print module is positioned at a sixth position and additional tape information is obtained and printed on a second portion of the tape.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of printing on a medium, such as an envelope. This method includes a first positioning step of positioning a print module at a first position. Next, postal indicia information is printed on a first area of the medium. A second positioning step positions the print module at a second position and during a second printing step, a second type of information is printed on a second area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a third positioning step of positioning the print module at a position, which may be the same position as the first position. A third printing step prints a third type of information on a third area of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a fourth positioning step of positioning the print module at a fourth position, and a fourth printing step of printing a fourth type of information at a fourth area of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes positioning a second print module on an opposite side of the envelope from the first position, and printing information on the opposite side of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a tape-positioning step of positioning the print module at a tape-printing position and printing indicia on a tape.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a second tape-positioning step of positioning the print module at a second-tape printing position, and printing additional data on the tape.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a third-tape positioning step of positioning the print module at a third tape printing position, and printing return address data on the tape.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of printing on a medium that has an adhesive surface. The method includes a first positioning step of positioning a print module at a first position. Next a first printing step prints postal indicia on a first area of the medium. A second positioning step positions the print module at a second position, and a second printing step prints second information on a second area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a third positioning step of positioning a print module at a third position, and a third printing step of printing third information on a third area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention relates to an apparatus for printing on a medium. The apparatus includes a first support member adapted to support a first medium and a second support member adapted to support a second medium;
A detection module detects one of the first medium or the second medium and a print module is adapted to print data on the detected medium.
When the detection module detects the first medium, the print module is disposed in a first position to print postal indicia data on a first area of the first medium, and the print module is then positioned in a second position to print second data on a second area of the first medium.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes a second print module positioned on an opposite side of the envelope from the first position. The second print module prints information on the opposite side of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is that the detection module determines information printed on the medium, and the print module prints information on the medium according to the determination of the detection module.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of printing on a medium. The method includes determining a type of medium and determining dimensions of the medium. A first positioning step positions a print module at a first position and a first printing step prints postal indicia information on a first area of the medium. When the dimensions of the medium exceed a first threshold, a second positioning step positions the print module at a second position, and a second printing step prints second information on a second area of the medium.
When the dimensions of the medium exceed a second threshold, which is larger than the first threshold, a third positioning step positions the print module at a third position and a third printing step prints third information on a third area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the invention includes detecting the presence or absence of data, such as a destination address, or a sender""s address, on the medium, and positioning the print module as a function of the detection.
Yet another embodiment is directed to an apparatus for printing on a medium. The apparatus includes means for detecting a type of medium. This means includes a sensor, switch or detector that establishes whether a tape, envelope or label is to be printed. When a first type of medium is detected, means for positioning a print module at a first position position the print module at the first position. The positioning means can be a portion of a print module controlled by a controller, which receives command data from a user or memory. The apparatus also includes means for printing postal indicia data on a first area of the envelope (the print means are suitably any print head as described herein) and means for positioning the print module at a second position. The apparatus also includes means for obtaining additional data and means for printing the additional data on a second area of the envelope. This is achieved by retrieving additional data from a memory or a user interface and printing the data using a printing device. The apparatus also includes means for positioning the print module at a third position and means for obtaining recipient address content data. These means are suitably similar to the means described above, specifically, a processor controlled apparatus to position a print module and a memory for storing recipient data, which is down loaded and printed by the print module. The apparatus also has means for printing the recipient address data on a third area of the envelope and means for positioning the print module at a fourth position. The apparatus also includes means for obtaining sender address information and means for printing the sender address information on a fourth area of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is that when a second type of medium is detected, means for positioning the print module at a fifth position, and means for printing indicia on a first portion of the tape.
Yet another embodiment of the invention includes means for positioning the print module at a sixth position, means for obtaining additional tape information, and means for printing the additional tape information on a second portion of the tape.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for printing on an envelope. The apparatus includes means for positioning a print module at a first position, means for printing postal indicia information on a first area of the envelope, means for positioning the print module at a second position, and means for printing a second type of information on a second area of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes means for positioning the print module at a third position, and means for printing a third type of information on a third area of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes means for positioning the print module at a fourth position, and means for printing a fourth type of information at a fourth area of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes means for positioning a second print module on an opposite side of the envelope from the first position, and means for printing information on the opposite side of the envelope.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes means for positioning the print module at a tape-printing position and means for printing indicia on a tape.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for printing on a medium that has an adhesive surface. The apparatus includes means for positioning a print module at a first position, means for printing postal indicia on a first area of the medium, means for positioning the print module at a second position, and means for printing second information on a second area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to an apparatus for printing on a medium. The apparatus includes means for determining a type of medium, means for determining dimensions of the medium, means for positioning a print module at a first position, means for printing postal indicia information on a first area of the medium. When the dimensions of the medium exceed a first threshold, means for positioning the print module at a second position, and means for printing second information on a second area of the medium.
When the dimensions of the medium exceed a second threshold, the second threshold being larger than the first threshold, means for positioning the print module at a third position, and means for printing third information on a third area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the invention includes means for detecting the presence or absence of a destination address on the medium, and means for positioning the print module as a function of the detection.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is directed to an apparatus for printing on a medium. The apparatus includes a support member adapted to support a medium, a print module positioned to print on a medium while the medium is disposed on the support member and a processor, operatively connected to the print module, adapted to provide control instructions to the print module such that the print module prints postal indicia on a first area of the medium, additional information on a second area of the medium and recipient address information on a third area of the medium.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus downloading information to a peripheral mailing machine, which includes a print module, a PC and an interface to a network, such as the Internet. The apparatus and corresponding method include sensing a type of medium that is to be printed on and positioning a print module at a first position based on the type of medium sensed in the sensing step. Next, postal indicia information is printed on the medium and the print module is positioned at a second position. Then, second information is printed on the medium, the second information retrieved from a remote location via a network.